Combination knife and slitting tool



Jan. 20, 1959 s. E. KlvELAl COMBINATION KNIFE AND sLIITING Tool.

Filed June 2l 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

Jan. 20, 1959 s. E. KlvELA 2,859,232

C-OMBINATION KNIFE AND SLITTING TOOI.d

Filed June 2l, 1957 r 2 *Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 5 Fig. 6

78 72 /4 H l f6 In@ 34 i l |l a5 l 'l 36 Ll f Ilmllll' `f\ l Stan/ey E.K/'ve/d. l I I INVENToR.

COMBINATION KNIFE AND SLITTING TOOL Stanley E. Kivela, Fond du Lac, Wis.Application June 21, 1957, Serial No. 667,251 7 Claims. (Cl. 30-161)This invention relates to a combined slitting tool and knife.

An object of the invention is to provide a slitting tool whose blade isadjustable to selected depth of penetration in accordance with the workthat is being done. The thicknesses of the material from which cartons,boxes, packages, etc. are made varies. This presents a problem of makingthe cut sufliciently deep to achieve complete severing but yet, not toodeep so as to damage the packaged merchandise. My invention solves thisproblem by having the blade adjustable through a wide range ofextensions from the blade supporting frame. The means by which this isaccomplished are mechanically simple but yet are effective.

From time to time a slitting tool or knife blade will become knicked,too dull or broken. Although replaceable blades in knives are well knownat the present time, a further object of this invention is to provide areplaceable blade for a slitting tool or a knife or a combined slittingtool and knife wherein the means by which the blade is held, possess theabove advantage in holding the blade with absolute surety but yet enablethe blade to be easily separated therefrom. An important feature is thev lack of keys, notches or like parts on the blade which increase thecost of the replacement blade.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a combinationslitting tool and knife with eective means to hold any selectedadjustment throughout the entire range of adjustmentv of the bladeregardless of rough treatment under which the slitting tool or knifewould ordinarily be subjected. These means are exemplified by a smallsliding lock which is movable to selected positions along an edge of theblade and which is carried by the frame of the slitting tool or knife.The blade is pivotally carried by the frame and when the blade isadjusted to any of the slitting positions; the pivot connection betweenthe blade and the frame is such that a torque is applied to the blade ina direction to bring the edge of it against the lock very firmly.Therefore, the lock cannot slip and needs no other mechanical devices orcontrivances to hold it in the selected position.

Therefore, it is a further object of the invention to pro` vide a novelpivot assembly for the blade of a knife or slitting tool, wherein-whenthe blade is moved to any of the wide range of slitting positions, aresilient force'is applied to the blade tending to hold it engaged withthe lock. In addition, the construction is mechanically such that whenthe blade is moved to a position whose principal function would be as ajack knife, there are these same means which are brought into operationto serve a second purpose and that is to establish a limit of pivotalmovement for the knife blade that is coextensive with the longitudinalaxis of the knife handle.

Other objects and features of importance will become apparent infollowing the description of the illustrated forms of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a combination slitting Patented Jan.2G, 195@ i the line 2 2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a sectional View taken approximately on the line 3 3 ofFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of a lock which holds the blade in eachof the selected positions for various depths ofcut made with theslitting tool;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the blade pivotassembly and associated means as would be seen along the line 5 5 ofFigure 3;

Figure 6 is a transverse sectional view in enlarged scale and takenapproximately on the line 6 6 of Figure 2;

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the combined slitting tooland knife;

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 3 and inenlarged scale; and

Figure 9 is an elevational view of a modification of the invention,parts being broken away in section to illustrate the modified features.

In the accompanying drawings there is a combined slitting tool and knife10. It is constructed of a frame 12 that has flat sides 14 and 16together with a rounded end 18 connecting the sides. Plastic or otherdecorative material covers 20 and 22 are attached to the outer surfacesof the sides and frame 12 by means of pins 24 that are xed to the frame.These pins penetrate small holes in the covers 2t) and 22 and aresufficient to hold the covers fastened in place. However, should otheror additional fastening means be desired, such as cement, they may beadopted.

Two slots 26 and 28 respectively are formed longitudinally in the sides14 and 16 of frame 12. Notch 30 is at one end of slot 28 and is used toseat the neck 32 of lock 34 and to provide an entrance for insertion andremoval of lock 34. The lock is in the form of a plate 36 extendingtransversely across the sides of the frame. Neck 32 is disposed in slot28 while the opposite end of plate 36 is disposed in slot 26. Fingergrip 38 is at the outer end of neck 32 and is wholly or partiallyrecessed in slot 40 formed in cover 22 and in alignment with slot 28.Slot 26 is blind in that it is hidden from view by cover 20.

Blade 42 is disposed between the sides of the frame 12 and is mountedfor pivotal movement. The means mounting the blade will be describedsubsequently. Blade 42 has a cutting edge 44 and a locking surface 48.The locking surface is formed by a plurality of notches or undulationsS0 that aid in keeping the blade in a selected position of adjustmentwhen the blade is used for slitting. The shank 52 of the blade is flatand has an arcuate bearing 54 at its end. The bearing fits over thesurface of spindle 56 that has head 58a countersunk in a hole in side 14of frame 12. A blade holder consisting of clamp plates 58 and 60,embraces shank 52 and holds it very rmly. The two clamp plates areconstructed with confronting pockets within which the shank 52 is held.Teeth 64, serrations or equivalent structural scoring, are formed on thesurfaces of the pockets of clamp plates 58 and 60 so that the shank 52is gripped very firmly. There are holes 66 and 68 in the plates of theholder and these, too, are mounted for rotation on spindle 56.

Collar 70 is formed on clamp plate @it and has its bore coincident withhole 68. The end of frame side 16 has an arcuate bearing 72 formed in itand this bearing has a surface against which the outer surface of collar70 4 tion to a slitting tool the cam 74 bears against a part of bearing'72 and opposes movement in one direction.

This opposition creates a yielding force by slight spreading of theupper and lower parts of frame side 16 at bearing 72. The cam 74coacting with the two parts of frame side 16, tending to very slightlyspread them and being opposed by the inherent resilience of the metalfrom which these parts are made, constitute resilient means tending toreturn the knife blade 42 to its rest position. The result is that thereis a binding action between the locking surface 48 o-f blade 42 and alock 35i. It is cx.- ceedingly diflicult if not impossible, toinadvertently shift the adjusted position of the blade 42 when it is ina selected slitting position.

The collar 70 has a stop 73 formed on it and the purpose of the stop isto abut the stop S formed at the extremity of bearing '72. When theblade 42 is rotated to the cutting or knife forming position, the limitof pivotal travel of the blade s2 and the holder within which the bladeis supported, is established by stops 7S and Sii coming into contactwith each other. Moreover flat portion '79 on collar '7d seats on theupper surface 8l of stop 80 to hold the blade in the extended position.To hold the blade holder in the closed position, flat portion S3 restson stop surface 81 (Fig. 5). During any movement of the blade holder andwhile the device is used as a slitting tool or knife, no motion betweenthe knife blade shank S2 and its holder nor between the parts of theholder is permissible. The surfaces of the pockets of the holder assurethat there will be no slippage between the knife blade shank and theholder blades, and a key 84 on plate 60 is itted in a slot 86 in theplate 58 to prevent any relative rotary movement between the plates ofthe knife blade clamp.

Two flat portions 88 and 96 are formed at the end of the spindle 56.Washers 92 and 94 having oblong apertures are fitted on the extremity ofthe spindle 56 with non-circular apertures in the washers and thenon-circular shape of the spindle end preventing the washers fromrotating as the blade 42 is adjusted. One of the Wassers is a lockwasher while the other is aaflat non-resilient washer. They aresuperimposed and presss against collar 70 to offer a resistance topivotal movement of the blade 42. Screw 96 is threaded in the spindle 56to hold the entire assembly organized as shown in Figure 8. Washers 92and 94 prevent any twisting force from being transmitted to screw 96which would tend to loosen the screw. The covers 2d and 22 have openingsin them so that tools may be inserted for holding the heads of thespindle 56 and the screw 96 respectively while the device is beingassembled and tightened.

In use, the tool 10 is grasped in the hand and the upper part of theblade 42 is pushed near the thumbnail slot 98 and against the resilientbias formed by cai 74 pressing against a surface of the bearing 72. Lock34 is slid from the rest position at one end of slots 26 and 28 until itbecomes nested in the correct notch in the upper surface of the blade42. Then pressure is removed from the blade and it will snapy tightlyinto the adjusted position for slitting. Y

When used as a knife the lock 34 is in or is moved to the rest positionat one end of its slots 26 and 28 and the blade is pivotally operated bypulling upwardly at the thumb slot 98. The limit of pivotal movement ofthe blade is established by the stops 78 and Si) coming into contactwith each other. For removal or replacement of the blade d2, screw 96 isremoved and the tool is easily loosened enough so that the blade 42 canbe slipped out and replaced by the same blade after sharpening orrepairing or by another blade.

The modification of Figure 9 differs from the previously describedmodification in that spindle 1% is integrally formed with the slide llof frame 112 instead of being a separate part. The remainder of theconstruction is the same and the operation is identical.

It is understood that various changes may be made without departing fromthe invention.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a combined slitting tool and knife, a frame having parallel sideswith outer free ends, pivot means on and extending between said sides atsaid free ends, a blade having an upper edge and a lower cutting edgeand an inner end, a holder engaged on said inner end of the blade andjournaled on said pivot means, a lock mounted on and extending betweensaid sides and conned for movement longitudinally of said sides, saidblade adapted to swing from a position in longitudinal extension beyondthe free ends of the sides of said frame to a slitting posi tion betweenthe frame sides with the cutting edge of the blade reaching below theframe sides, said upper edge of the blade having a plurality of notchesadapted to be selectively engaged by said lock upon inward movement ofthe lock away from one end of the frame and over the upper edge of theblade and into engagement with a selected notch to hold the blade in aselected slitting position.

2. A slitting tool comprising a frame that has sides, a blade, a bladeholder, means in said holder separably attaching said blade to saidholder, a spindle carried by said frame, said holder having an openingin which said spindle is disposed thereby mounting said holder forpivotal movement on said frame, a collar constituting a part of saidholder, resilient means reacting on said collar and said frame andopposing the pivotal movement of said holder in one direction and alsotending to return said holder to a rest position, a lock to hold saidblade in a selected slitting position and carried by said frame, saidlcck including a member which extends across the sides of said frame andwhich is contacted by said blade at selected positions along an edgethereof so that the resilient force generated between said holder andthe part of said frame holds said blade and lock engaged to retain theblade in the selected slitting position.

3. An appliance convertible between a slitting tool and a knife, saidappliance comprising a frame which has spaced sides, a spindle extendingacross the space between said sides, a blade holder pivoted on saidspindle, a blade carried by said holder and having a longitudinal edge,a blade stop adjustably carried by said frame and engageable withselected parts of said blade edge to hold the blade in slittingposition, and means for pressing said blade against said stop.

4. An appliance convertible between a slitting tool and a knife, saidappliance comprising a frame which has spaced sides, a spindle extendingacross the space between said sides, a blade holder pivoted on saidspindle, a blade carried by said holder and having a longitudinal edge,a blade stop adjustably carried by said frame and engageable withselected parts of said blade edge to hold the blade in slittingposition, means for generating a yielding force on said blade holder tomaintain said blade pressed against said stop, said means including camsurfaces on said holder and on said frame and in contact with eachother.

5. In an appliance that is convertible from a slitting tool to a knife,said appliance comprising a frame having sides with a space between thesides, a spindle attached to said sides and extending across said spacenear one end of said frame, a blade that has a cutting edge and alongitudinal edge generally coextensive with the cutting edge, meansmounting said blade on said spindle for pivotal movement into and fromsaid space between the sides of said frame, means for resiliently urgingsaid blade to a closed position within said space, a lock extendingacross said space between said sides and adapted to contact the secondmentioned edge of said blade to hold said blade in selected pivotalpositions by moving said lock to selected positions with respect to theends of said frame, and means mounting said lock for adjustment on saidsides of said frame so that said lock can occupy one of a number ofpositions all of which are held by the force applied by said resilientmeans tending to pivot said blade into the space between said sides ofsaid frame.

6. In an appliance that is convertible between a slitting tool and aknife, a frame having sides with a space between said sides, a bladethat has a iirst cutting edge and a second edge, means pivotallymounting said blade in said space between said sides, means forresiliently urging said blade to a closed position wherein said bladeoccupies said space, a lock carried by said frame and engageable withsaid second edge of said blade to hold said blade in a slitting positionat which at least a part of said blade including said cutting edge isprojecting outwardly from said space.

7. In an appliance which is convertible between a slitting tool and aknife, the combination of a frame that has sides with a space betweensaid sides, said frame having openings along both longitudinal edges ofits sides, a blade that has a first cutting edge and a second edge,

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS860,829 Schmidt July 23, 1907 975,015 Bryant Nov. 8, 1910 1,125,234White Jan. 19, 1915 1,808,239 Logan June 2, 1931 1,906,573 Gits May 2,1933 2,286,524 Wilbur Iune 16, 1942

